December always scares me with its demands and yet I also relish it. Days that are busy fly by and resolve into a quiet week of peace and restoration. The world here in Virginia goes quiet and gray. Our fireplace heats us all day and the Christmas cookies on the counter remind us how sparkling and precious the days of this particular month are.
There may be affiliate links below. Clicking on them provides a small amount of support to The Family Trip. Read more on our policies here.
We have so many lovely holiday traditions that I hold dear and we also find that each Christmas is so different than the one before. This one was no exception.
For the first time, my siblings and I were all in the same neighborhood. This Christmas began already knowing that January was coming with a lot of changes. I was vigilant and aware, yet so much softer than what September and October had offered me.
I am so hopeful about 2023, and found myself restored and renewed as 2022 wound down.
Our Monthly Trips
Of course, it is no accident that the beginning of the month started with taking myself on a mini-retreat.
I shared this on Instagram, but I holed away in a tiny home not too far from home. I did things I loved, treated myself as I would treat my best friend, and spent a lot of time journaling.
I was able to let things go and also to absorb what had been helpful to me out of the challenges of the past few months.
I was able to go on impromptu adventures right down the street from my home while tucked away from the world.
The Best Things I Bought
It was a month of Christmas shopping so, of course, I bought a ton of awesome things! (Maybe too many.) But not many for myself.
I did, however, buy this book on Snacking Cakes and I am absolutely obsessed. I can’t recall where I first heard of this, but it is such a wonderful idea.
Life is better with a snacking cake on the counter.
What I Read
I read a lot last year and look forward to doing my annual round-up. I plowed through some of those books during the Christmas break, of course.
I read the incredibly popular I’m Glad My Mom Died and have lots of mixed feelings about it. Of course, I never registered that iCarly was a thing that existed at any point in my life, so I came at it with a really different take.
But it was snuggling up to re-read this classic that really was my favorite read of the month.
My Powersheets
Much of my mini-retreat was cathartic because of the help of my Powersheets, both past and present.
I specifically kept my Powersheets for December simple, scaling back. And I treated the completion of what I did commit to with love and grace. My goal was joy and quiet and I wanted open space to let the month go where it needed to.
What's Ahead
I am filled with hope for 2023.
My new Powersheets goals have been filled out and, as usual, have helped me hone what I want to give energy to this year (and what I don’t!). I am looking at a depth year and, using some of my Word of the Year tactics, decided that 2023 will be about reclaiming.
I want to reclaim my thoughts, my headspace, my actions, my emotions, my time and what roles I fill in the world. There is so much possibility to that!
We have a huge road trip we’re working on, taking Shirley Jean with us, in August. There are also some little trips planned here and there.
But, quite honestly, given the ridiculous pricetags and inflation, I feel like we’ll be spending more time home and less traveling. I am excited about all of the family trips we’ll have together, bringing gratitude and creativity to what we’ve created where we are.
I started a Substack for The Family Trip, where I have a platform to share long-form essays with a new audience. So I welcome you to join me there. Frankly, I still have the Mailchimp account as well, and part of my 2023 goals is to figure out how The Family Trip can serve families best – and on what platforms.
But wherever things go, I just know that 2023 is going to be good. And I hope that you’ll follow The Trip as we move with reclaimed hope this year!